ORSIE launches Social Impact Hub

Over the last several years, through funded collaborations with community partners, Durham College (DC) has developed a distinct cluster of 14 valuable applied research projects focused on social innovation, receiving $1,324,544 in overall funding. These projects tackle everything from homelessness and mental health, to equity and accessibility, training and more.

Today, following the successful launch of DC’s four previous applied research centres, ORSIE announced the opening of its new Social Impact Hub focused exclusively on social innovation research.

Social innovation refers to a process, initiative or product that seeks to address a societal challenge by improving upon or redesigning the systems that make up our society. This type of work involves collective action through community collaborations, leading to valuable outcomes that are felt by the broader community, not just the individual.

By leveraging faculty expertise, student talent and strong community partnerships, researchers at the Social Impact Hub will continue their work to identify creative solutions to complex social problems through leading-edge social innovation projects and initiatives.

Ongoing projects at DC in this area of research include:

  • Building Bridges Together: Co-production of Financial Empowerment Strategies with People Experiencing Low Income
  • Innovation Through Co-production: A Holistic Approach to Supporting Social Competency in Pre-school Children
  • Enriching Firefighter Training Through the Development of a Novel Virtual Reality Training Simulation for Personalized Precision, Skill and Resilience Training
  • Enhancing Virtual Mentorship to Reduce Social Isolation of Youth
  • Support for Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

DC researchers have also completed a number of projects, including the unique Co-design of a Youth-led Housing Hub: Developing a Unique and Scalable Housing Model for Youth Living on Their Own in Durham.

For more information on the Social Impact Hub, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/socialimpacthub.